NASCAR pulls race from ‘The Rock’

ROCKINGHAM — Fans will have to put their plans on hold to see another race at the Rockingham Speedway following Monday’s announcement by NASCAR.

The organization pulled the Nov. 2 K&N Pro Series East season finale from the track. The series will now conclude its season at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., on Oct. 18. The event was scheduled to be part of the “Classic 3 Championship” weekend, which would have included UARA-STARS Late Model and Pro Cup Series contests.

It would have been the eighth K&N Pro Series East race at the track and second in as many years. Tyler Reddick took the checkered flag last November after being involved in a last-lap incident with the race leader Brett Moffitt. Reddick’s victory allowed Kyle Larson to claim the points championship over Moffitt.

Larson won the Camping World Truck Series race at “The Rock” this April. He was competing in both the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series this season and will replace Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 42 car at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing next year.

“It is unfortunate any time a race must be canceled,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring. “However, the race track failed to meet its obligations and we were forced to terminate the sanction agreement. We look forward to a great race weekend at Road Atlanta to culminate the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season and crown the 2013 champion.”

Rockingham Speedway president Andy Hillenburg was unavailable for comment. Hillenburg was returning from Newton, Iowa, where he watched the Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA races at Iowa Speedway. Hillenburg’s ARCA entry, driven by Kyle Weatherman, finished second.

A year ago, Hillenburg and NASCAR announced the Camping World Truck Series would return to the track, but with NASCAR canceling its K&N Pro Series East event, the future of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at The Rock presented by Cheerwine could be in doubt. The Rockingham Speedway website currently doesn’t list any upcoming events under its schedule tab.

“We are in the midst of discussions with tracks regarding the 2014 schedule for all three of our national series,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “Those discussions are on-going and we will be finalizing those schedules in the near future.”

— Sports editor Shawn Stinson can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 14, or by email at sstinson@civitasmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @scgolfer.